tonelada
/toneˈlada/feminine
The English phrase "ton" is translated into Spanish as tonelada.
tonelada refers to various units of mass notionally equivalent to a tun. In informal speech, the phrase una tonelada de can be used figuratively to mean "a lot of" something, much like in English. In formal scientific contexts, the term megagramo may be used as an alternative, which is equal to 1,000,000 grams or 1,000 kilograms.
Meaning: various units of mass notionally equivalent to a tun (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tonelada is toneladas.
How do you pronounce it?
/toneˈlada/
Did you know?
- The root of tonelada traces back to a Proto-Celtic word for 'hide' or 'skin', referring to the leather bags used to store liquids before wooden barrels were common.
- In Spanish maritime contexts, a tonelada can refer to a unit of volume rather than weight, measuring the internal capacity of a ship's hold.
- In some Latin American countries, you may encounter the tonelada corta and tonelada larga to distinguish between the US short ton and the Imperial long ton.
Examples in context
- Ya existe un dron antiincendios, el FLYOX I, capaz de cargar más de una tonelada de agua, que funciona con combustible convencional y que es mucho más barato, seguro y versátil que los aviones generales usados para estos menesteres.There already exists a firefighting drone called the FLYOX I that is capable of carrying more than a ton of water, that uses conventional fuel and that is much cheaper, safer and more versatile than the general aircrafts used for these tasks.This sentence describes a firefighting drone capable of carrying more than a tonelada of water.Tatoeba #13426564 by Seael, translation #13426571 by frpzzd
- Tengo una tonelada de fantásticas historias.I have a ton of cool stories.This sentence uses tonelada figuratively to mean "a ton of" cool stories.Tatoeba #8669550 by ajje, translation #8669551 by ajje
- Esta caja pesa una tonelada. ¿Qué hay adentro?This box weighs a ton. What's inside?This sentence uses tonelada to describe the weight of a box.Tatoeba #1421516 by nancy, translation #57522 by CK
- El peso del objeto es de 5 toneladasThe weight of the object is 5 tons.
- El camión transportaba 2 toneladas de cargaThe truck was carrying 2 tons of cargo.
- ¡Hay un montón de comida en la fiesta!There's a ton of food at the party!
- Compramos un chorro de libros en la tiendaWe bought a ton of books at the store.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are at a shipping port.
- JavierEsa carga pesa más de una tonelada.That cargo weighs more than a ton.
- LucíaEs una tonelada de metal muy pesada.It is a ton of very heavy metal.
- JavierNecesitamos una grúa para mover la tonelada entera.We need a crane to move the entire ton.
- LucíaÉl es un experto manejando tal peso.He is an expert at handling such weight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ton” translations and entries tonelada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tonelada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
